Aging is a natural process, nothing to dread or fight against. It is exactly how beautiful Audrey Hepburn had put it, ‘And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!’. To age gracefully is a sign to show that you had a fulfilling and gracious youth; if you have a few lines on your face it only represents your journey of life. Who said old age cannot be beautiful? You can age gracefully and look precious. Aging has been inevitably associated with decline in physical and mental health, sagging skin, wrinkle all over forehead, under eye bags and an affected zeal for life. This is not necessarily your old age, it is for the people who do not take care of themselves and let Aging take control of their lives. Although Aging is certain but how it affects you is your choice really, even the fact how it affects your life psychologically is under your command. There are people in the world who live longer, they are healthier longer and they look youthful until a very long time, if it is achievable for them then why not for all of us. All we really need is right tools and techniques to mould our body into Aging gracefully and it is an established fact that physical exercise and good lifestyle can help us achieve that. Midlife demands of controlled, active and sharp lifestyle. The trick is to embrace Aging instead of living in denial about it and doing something in its direction rather than against it. Where we go wrong is when we make Aging our irrational fear and we obsess over it; it leads to taking of mindless actions like consuming anti-Aging pills, spending huge sums of money on anti-Aging creams and lotions, going for uncalled for plastic surgeries, rash ordeals of one Botox shot after another, etc. Since we cannot negate Aging, but we can diminish its customary effects on us. But the first and foremost thing to settle down is to keep realistic expectations; do not think that if you follow the prerequisites of slowing down the Aging process then it would mean that you would miraculously not age at all. This is in fact a wrong attitude towards life; get real and understand that Aging will happen and that too in its full bloom but you can embrace it positively and choose to grow old gracefully rather than turning it into a misery in your life. We are here to guide you through the process of Aging gracefully. Follow the basic tips in this article and age beautifully.
Take Care Of Your Skin
Skin is the largest organ of your body; it is also the most visible one. You can look much younger if you take care of your skin and your skin looks healthier and glows like that of a young person’s. Do not worry, you do not have to invest into high priced creams, lotions and essential oils. You can make sure that your skin looks younger by following some cheap but invaluable regime. For the mornings, apply 30 SPF sunscreen and eat a good portion of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables. In the afternoons, wear a wide hat to save your skin from the sun as the heat from the sun dehydrates the skin and cause it to wrinkle, sip some antioxidant rich green tea and drink 6-8 glasses of water. And, for the night time, do some yoga, hydrate your skin with a rich moisturizer and sleep well. The most important thing here to understand is that sun damages the collagen of the skin and once the collagen producing cells break down then the visible lines and wrinkles are produced. To help skin retain its collagen, you should limit your exposure to sun and say no to sun bathing. Use a broad spectrum sun-block every time you expose yourself to the sun. Use the topical products that induce collagen, vitamin C and anti-oxidants to your skin. Get Proper sleep as well, for your skin and other organs rejuvenates during sleep. The effects of not sleeping properly can be seen on the skin as due to the non turnover of the skin cells, it starts to look dull and dead. If you do not sleep properly then the levels of cortisol and glucose increases in your body, which leads to diabetes, hypertension, etc. It is recommended to sleep between 7.5-8.5 hours. As we know, lack of sleep leads to fatigue and fatigue leads to dark circles and puffiness, which again makes one look aged and dull.
Yoga
Yoga helps you to age gracefully physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. A lifelong yoga practice can get you the ticket to a healthier and youthful life. Physically, yoga ensures that the blood pressure is kept lowered down, flexibility is maintained, chronic health problems are kept at bay like arthritis, back pain, etc and preventing major crisis like strokes and heart conditions. Yoga also sharpens the mind, memory, helps in elevating self-image and instills discipline in a person’s life. All of this is reflected in your life and vitality is retained in your daily life.
Outer Image
You can also look like you are Aging gracefully by the kind of clothes you wear. You must come to terms with the fact that you are not sixteen anymore and anything that used to fit your body before is not going to render the same grace anymore. Try to find stuff that suits your age and reflects the maturity that you have attained for all of these years. Wear soothing colors or warm colors that depict warmth and elegance. You can don a haircut that softens the lines on your face and enhances the sharpness of your bone structure. If your hair is becoming thin and brittle due to age, then you can go for soft highlights and bulk it up. Since a beautiful smile can make you look hundred folds younger, improve your smile by taking good dental care.
